Mechanical telephone



(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 1. M. B. WILLIAMSON. MECHANICAL TELEPHONE.

No. 333,044. Patented Dec. 22', 1885.

(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

M. B. WILLIAMSON. MECHANICAL TELEPHONE.

No. 333,044. Patented B90322, 1885.

Invanior:

I ,2 x r ,7"

v u MW.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEFicE MOSES B. IVILLIAMSON, OF XENIA, ILLINOIS.

M ECHANICAL TELEPHONE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 333,044, dated December22, 1885.

Application filed J uly .23, 1884. Serial No. 138,532.

.To aZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that 1, Moses BJVILLTAMsoma citizen of the United States,residing at Xenia, in the county of Clay and State of Illinios, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Telephones;and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to mechanical telephones, and has for its objectimprovements in the sounding and articulating capacities of thetelephone and in the insulation and tension of the wire by means of theconstruction and arrangement hereinafter to be described.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein like letters represent like parts,Figure 1 is a general plan view of the telephone. Fig. 2 is an elevationof the mouth-piece, sounding-tube, and ear-piece attachments; Fig. 3, anelevation, partly in section, of the mouth-piece, key, sounding-tube,diaphragm, and button; Fig. 4, an oblique perspective of the ear-piece,showing the details thereof; Fig. 5, a front view of the mechanism forinsulating and tightening the transmission-wire; and Fig. 6, a verticalsection of the mouth-piece, sounding-tube, and diaphragm when thetransmission-wire is intended to pass through the front or side insteadof the bottom of the box in which the telephone is habitually fitted forservice.

A is the flared mouth-piece; B, the sounding-tube, consisting of twohollow truncated cones joined at their bases, which are formed intooutwardly-turned flanges b, to make a joint.

O is a diaphragm of horn riveted near its edge between the flanges b,and provided with the usual center hole, 0, for the admission of thewire.

D is a hollow conveXed bottom resting on a cushion of felt, E, or otherequivalent elastic material, and suitably provided with holes for theattachment of the wire.

F is the call-key, pivoted to a bracket, a, in the mouth-piece, and itmay have any familiar (N0 model.)

and suitable spring attachment to keep the foot of the key pressed uponthe button.

G is a broad, tight elastic band fitting upon and infolding the edges ofthe flanges b.

H is a small tube inserted in the dome of the sounding-tube, to conveyreceived sounds to the ear-piece.

I is the ear-piece, attachable to the tube H by an elastic tube or othersuitable means, and provided with a concave face, t, having a centerhole, i.

K is the transmitting-wire, attached to the button and passing throughthe aperture 7) in the bottom of the sounding-tube.

L is an insulating-thimble, of leather or other equivalent material,loosely encircling the wire and attached by a short cable, Z, to one endof the tensionkey'M, the other end of which is prolonged into ahand-lever, and which is pivoted suitably to the telephonebox andprovided with a half-circular ratchet, to co-operate in an obviousmanner with the pawl N, likewise pivoted to the box, and so maintain thewire K in tension. A roller-pulley, O, accommodates the cable pertainingto the thimble.

By means of the construction and arrangement above described I obtainthe following useful results: First, the sounding-tube is well shapedabove to insure vibration of the dia phragm, and below to concentratethe vibrations upon the wire; secondly, the character of the diaphragm-plate and the manner in which it is rigidly embedded in the walls ofthe sounding-tube tend to reduce the expansions and contractions due tochanges of humidity and temperature; thirdly, the material of thediaphragm, the normal pressure of the key upon the button, the padbeneath the button, and the tight close-textured band around the jointof the sounding-tube all contribute toward the suppression of ringing orjarring noises and the promotion of distinct articulation; fourthly, inwindy or stormy weather the call-key can be used as a means ofcommunication according to a prearranged code of sounds, fifthly, theround concaved face of the ear-piece enables the receiver to place theorifice of the ear-piece very close to the orifice of his ear, and soexclude foreign adjacent sounds; and, sixthly, the insulation andtension of the wire are efficiently and simply insured.

It is intended to fit the apparatusinto any kind of suitable case or boxhaving the necessary inlets and outlets to accommodate the variousparts, this box being fastened to the wall or any other convenientsupport.

The instrument I have above described contemplates the passage of thetransmitting-wire through the bot-tom of the box; but if it be moreconvenient to have such passage through a vertical wall of the box it isonly necessary to vary the shape and direction of parts, as shown inFig. 6, without introducing new or additional elements.

- Having thus described my invention, what I claim to be new and useful,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is the following:

2. The combination, in a mechanical telephone, of the sounding-tube B,having flanges b, with the diaphragm G, the button D, the cushion E, andthe band G, all inthe manner hereinbefore set forth, for the purpose ofimproving telephonic articulation by the sup; pression of ringing andjarring noises, as herein set forth.

3. The combination, in a mechanical telephone, of the thimble L, havinga short cable, Z, with the tension-key M, the pawlN, and the pulley O,in the manner hereinbefore described, for the purpose of insulating andtightening the transmitting-wire of such a telephone, as herein setforth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in:

presence of two witnesses.

MOSES B. WILLIAMSON.

Witnesses:

R. D. S. FILSON, D. L. TUCKER.

